The goals of the very high speed integrated circuit (or VHSIC) program are to reduce IC design time and effectively insertVHSIC technology into military systems. These goals, indicating the need for a standard means of communication to stream-lineadvanced digital design and documentation, motivated the development of a hardware description language. Requirements wereanalyzed during 1981; program organization was formulated during 1982; and the VHSIC hardware description language (or VHDL)program was launched in August, 1983. Acting as a standard design automation interface, VHDL will simplify complex digitalsystem design. Acting as design documentation agent, it will facilitate design insertion into electronic systems. Organizationof the VHDL program is detailed elsewhere.1 We will discuss elements motivating hardware description language use (VHDL inparticular) and examine its impact on governmental, industrial, and academic participation in electronic research, business,and education.